this post was submitted on 15 Nov 2023
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Nature and Gardening
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Groundbreaking in the sense that science is catching up to what many people spending time with animals know already. I would have expected as much. I imagine cetaceans and equines would name each other as well, quite a few birds, and who knows who else. I imagine our pets have names for us as well, but my ears are too stupid to make them out.
The problem is that unfortunately most of that common knowledge is anecdotal. I can say my dog whines distinctly different, as if thinking/asking about my SO when they're at work for example, but it's incredibly difficult to pin scientific research to that. I'm all for broadening our understanding the wonderful creatures we share this planet with!
Or maybe the problem is that too many of us give more value to science instead of just believing in what we experience ourselves, even though scientists are only permitted to come up with the cautiously worded, much delayed truisms as above. But I am glad that science is catching up with what we know!
To be honest, I'm pretty sure that it's the other way around.
That sounds exactly like something a human made climate change denier would say after they happened to experience two consecutive cold winters in their area. I'd rather have them giving more value to science.